Signaling-machine.



No. 708,904. Patented Sept. 9, I902.

H. L. MCGDWAN. SIGNALING MACHINE.

[Application filed Jan. 23, 1902.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I No. 708,904. Patented Sept. 9, I902. H. L. MCGUWAN.

SIGNALING MACHINE. Application filed Jan. 23, 1902 {No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L o 4 .0. o

Ur'l'h'um Wafrzesaea:

' embodying the application of my invention carry the signal-gong.

-NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

HENRY LYLE MCGOWAN, OF ST. JOHN, CANADA.

SIGNALING-MACHINE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,904, dated September 9, 1902.

Application filed January 28, 1902. Serial No. 90,996. iNo model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LHENRY LYLE MoGo'wAN, painter, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at the city of St. John, in the county of St. John and Province of New Brunswick, Canada, have invented a new and useful Signaling-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machinesin which water-power is used to operate a signal or furnish a motive power; and the objects of my invention are, first, to utilize the ebb and flow of tidal water for the purpose aforesaid; secondly, to utilize a head of water from a constant source of supply for the same purposes, and generally to furnish a subaqueous watermotor. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which--- Figure 1 is a vertical section of a machine as a fog-signal. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the regulating-cock. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the valve S, illustrating its'operation.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The tower e e, standing on a ledge in a tidal water, may be of stone, wood, iron, or other durable material. The lower part c, having compartments 2' and j, serves as a foundation for the upper part 6, which is preferably an iron framework to It is obvious that the walls of the lower part of the tower and, in fact, the whole structure must be thoroughly and strongly built and ballasted to stand the stress of storm and sea, and in a cold climate the walls should be thick enough to protect the water in the pipes and tanks from freezing.

The compartment 91 is a waterproof tank or reservoir, preferably of iron. It should be capable of holding such a quantity of water that the fall thereof, adjusted by the regu-.

lating-cock q r, into-the tip-tank on will operate, by means of the rod f and arm f, the striker m of the gong t for, say, twelve hours, or between high tides each day. The reservoir I; is supplied from the tidal water surrounding the tower by the pipe 0 through the openings Ct a as. The opening (l admitting the tide to the pipe 0, is provided with a grating to act as a screen and exclude fish,

It consists of two parts.

dirt, &c., from the pipe 0. 'The opening a is provided with the check-valve b, which prevents the outflow of water from the reservoir t'. When the water in the reservoir has risen to the desired level so as to float the ball S, the ball-cock s, which is the ordinary form of ball-cock used in water-closet tanks, becomes operative and closes the openings (t and a. The air in the reservoir escapes as the water flows in through the vent-pipe h. This pipe should extend far enough above high water to prevent the waves from flowing into it. The reservoir 1 may be entered for the purpose of cleaning, repairing, 850., through the manhole Z, which should have a water-tight cover.

The compartment j, for convenience placed below the reservoir t', serves as a Waste-tank and may be used, as in drawings, as a compartment for the tip-tank m or other motor employed to operate the signal apparatus. It is emptied by means of the pipe 19, having check-valve c to prevent the refiow of the tide into compartment j, and the outlet d, provided with a grating to act as a screen to exelude fish, dirt, &c., from the pipe. The manhole Z, having water-tight cover, afiords access to the waste-tankj. The regulating-cock q 1" has the handle q and slot or gate 7". It is for the purpose of adjusting the flow of water from the reservoir to the tip-tank m in relation to the interval of the strokes desired on the signal-gong If. If the tip-tank m or other pipe 1 which serves as a shield for the rod f 5 and should extend far enough above high water to prevent the waves overflowing into it.

The tip-tank m is pivoted on a bar 01., set into the walls of waste-tankj. Itis connected by pivot-joints g with rod f, which rodfis connected at pivot-joint g with the arm f. When the tip-tankmis at rest, the arm f engages with the striker a), as indicated in the drawings. When the tip-tank fills and tips,

as indicated by the dotted lines, it raises the rod fand arm f, and thereby the striker w, as indicated by dotted lines, until the arm f is disengaged from the striker 00 by a trip suitably placed on the frame e, when striker :1; drops heavily on the gongzi, giving the required signal. The springu is to hold oil? the striker from the gong when at rest. The gong t is attached to the frame e by the yoke 1),

having arm w, to which is pivoted or hung the striker a).

In the drawings I have shown a signal-tower built on a ledge of rock covered at low tide (indicated by line 5 z) to such a depth that the pipes 010 may have their outward openings below low-water mark. This is not essential, but is advantageous where practicable to avoid injury to the gratings from things drifting on the water and to guard against the iceing up of the gratings. The walled part of the tower is below high-water mark to avoid as much as may be the force of heavy seas. The pipe 0 may he carried through the waste-tankj and into the reservoir 0} instead of through the wall, as shown. They should be placed where they will be readily accessible and best guarded against the danger of frost. The waste-tankj should be above the level of low-water mark, so as toinsureits beingemptied when the tide falls.

The mode of Working my invention is as follows: Themachine having been built as described and the regulating-cock q 0" adjusted by means of the handle q, so as to admit through slot r the desired flow of water to the tip-tankn,ad mit thetidal water through supply-pipe 0 into reservoir 11, and as it flows into tip-tank mit furnishes the head of force required for operating the gong zf in the manner described and continues to do so. As the tide rises the level of the water in the reservoir rises until the openings a a are closed by the ball-cock s, when a head of water will have been accumulatedin the reservoir more than is required for working the signaling apparatus during the ebb of the tide and until the next tide begins to flow into the reservoir. As the used water flows out of the tip-tank m it accumulates in the waste-tank j until the level of the ebbing tide is below the waste-tankj, when the pressure of the water in waste-tankj opens the gate of valve 0 and allows the discharge of such waste water from the tower. When the waste-tank is emptied, the gravity of the valve-gate closes valve 0 and aided by the pressure of the tide as it rises again prevents the reflow of the tidal water into tankj, and so from tide to tide the head of water supplied by one tide continues to operate the signaling apparatus not only while the tide is rising and at high water, but also while it ebbs and until each succeeding tide flows into the reservoir. The

signals are thus automatically and constantly given at the regular intervals for which the 6 apparatus is adjusted.

It will be seen that where fog-signals are required at a place where the rise and fall of tide are too little to furnish the required head of water in the reservoir 1' a head of water may be induced into the reservoir bya supply-pipe from any constant source of watersupply available, and the head of water so supplied will operate the signal apparatus in the same manner as the supply of tidal water above described. While in the drawings I show the application of my invention as a fog signal, it is readily seen that the force of the water flowing from reservoir 1' into the vacuum-tankj can be utilized by appropriate machinery for any purpose within the capacity of the head of water supplied.

It is well known that bell-buoysoft-en drift out of place, are sometimes drawn under water and sometimes overturned, that in smooth water they do not give their signals, and in any case give their signals at irregular intervals. My invention furnishes a fog-signal free from these drawbacks from usefulness.

For clearness in the drawings the level of the water in the reservoir is represented below the height it would attain to at high water, when of course the level of the water in the reservoir would beat opening a and the openings at a would be closed by the ball-cock s, as described.

I claim as newl. In a signal-tower for a tidal water the combination of a reservoir, having a supplypipe for admitting thereto a head of the tidal water, devices for shutting off such tidal water, an air-vent, a regulating-cock to secure an adjusted flow of the water from the reservoir into a tip-tank as described, devices for operating a signal-gong by the tipping of said tip-tan k, a waste-tank for receiving the used water from the tip-tank, and devices for discharging such water from the tower and for preventing the tidal water from flowing back into the waste-tank substantially as and for the purposes described.

In a signal-tower the combination of a reservoir having devices for supplying the same with a constant head of water, as described, a regulating-cock to secure an adjusted flow of said waterin the reservoirinto a tip-tank as described, devices for operating by the tipping of saidtip-tanka signal-gong, and devices for discharging from the tower the used water of the tip-tank, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY LYLE MGGOWAN.

Witnesses:

EDWARD T. C. KNOWLES, FREDERICK H. (J. MILES. 

